Acts 7:51-54

The Sanhedrin was protecting the Law of Moses. At least, that is the way they saw it. They viewed themselves as the protectors of truth. They were the white knights, the defenders of the realm, and the guardians of truth all rolled into one. They arrested Stephen and accused him of attacking the customs of Moses. It is hard to know what they really believed. Some of them were corrupt enough that they had to know they were unrighteous. Some of them were self-deceived enough that they could have truly believed they were protecting God’s law. Some were so self-righteous they could not tell the difference between right and wrong. None of them had the ability to view themselves as God viewed them.

Stephen gives up trying to defend himself, or enlightening them to the truth about Jesus. He recognizes that they are entrenched in their wickedness, and he tells them the truth about themselves. They are stiff-necked, (stubborn). They took on the outward signs of a covenant relationship with God, but they didn’t allow that relationship to touch their hearts. Their ears would not listen to God’s spirit and they did not hear his guidance. They resisted every attempt God made to reach them.

They observed the letter of the law, but they willfully ignored the spirit of the law. Their ancestors persecuted godly men who preached the truth. Their ancestors killed the men who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, and now they followed in their ancestors footsteps. They betrayed and murdered the Son of God. The messiah that the prophets predicted had arrived, and they were so blind but they will not recognize him. Now that God had raised him from the dead, they still did not acknowledge him. All of their knowledge of the law was worthless because they did not obey it.

They were furious. They believed having the Law of Moses made them righteous. They were wrong. Righteousness, without a relationship with Jesus, is impossible.